SERVES 20 TO 24 For detailed tips and techniques on roasting a “big” bird, please click HERE You can use any roasting pan to roast the turkey, even a disposable one, but make sure to use a V-rack to elevate it. Be careful to dry the skin thoroughly before brushing the bird with butter; otherwise,…Read More »

Most recipes recommend roasting 12 to 14 pound turkeys, a size that is easy to handle and that delivers superior flavor. But what if you have more than 10 people coming to dinner? Roasting two turkeys is not an option for most home cooks. Here is my method for cooking a massive bird, enough to…Read More »

For detailed instructions on how to prepare the perfect poached eggs, please click HERE Poached eggs take well to any number of accompaniments. try serving them on a bed of grated mild cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese or creamed spinach, in a pool of salsa, on a thick slice of tomato topped with a…Read More »

Poaching is a great way to treat an egg provided you know the best way to poach. A poached egg should e a lovely, tender white pouch cooked evenly all the way through. The top of the egg yolk should look slightly pink and, when cut, should run just a little. The white that surrounds…Read More »

To make sue the beef browns well, dry the pieces thoroughly with paper towels. Don’t bother making this stew with a light-colored beer – both the color and flavor will e insipid. I particularly liked Newcastle Brown Ale, Anchor Steam, and Chimay. For those who like a heavier beer, with a slightly bitter flavor, porter…Read More »

A basic beef stew can be altered in dozens of ways, usually by adding more ingredients to the pot. But you can also go to the other way and strip beef stew down to its bare bones (to its beef). If you also trade in the carrots and potatoes for a plethora of onions and…Read More »

For the best texture and flavor, I like a combination of grated corn, whole kernels (cut away from the cobs with a knife), and corn milk (scraped from all the ears with the back of a knife). For techniques on how to prepare corn the creamed corn, please click here Ingredients: 5 medium ears fresh…Read More »

Although creamed corn is available any time of the year out of a can, it doesn’t compare with the clean, sweet flavor of late-summer corn gently simmered with fresh cream. But if you don’t handle the fresh corn and cream correctly, you wind-up with that overcooked, just-out-of-the-can flavor your were trying to avoid. Many recipes…Read More »

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 3 MEDIUM PIZZAS I find that the food processor is the best tool for making pizza dough. However, only a food processor with a capacity of at least 11 cups can handle this much dough. You can also knead this dough by hand or in a standing mixer. Unbleached all-purpose flour…Read More »

Unless you build a brick oven in your kitchen, it’s not possible to duplicate pizzeria style pies at home. Commercial pizza ovens can reach 800 degrees, home ovens just can’t compete. That said, homemade pizza is delicious even if different from the pies you get when you eat out. The crust is chewier, crisper, and…Read More »